With our hearts and our bikes light, we got an early start and we were pedaling by 6.30 to beat the heat. Before we knew it we were climbing up the first of the two big climbs of the day and while it was a long climb we were done before we expected and having a fun zip down.
As we flew down we found a new horror - cow pies all over the road. Although andrew tried to avoid them, he ran through a fresh one and Crys, who was behind him got the spray back. Yuck! But a quick wash in a creek and more careful descending kept that a one time lesson for the day and hopefully the trip!
After 28 miles of good forest riding we came to the last 10 miles along a busy highway. Thankfully down with a generous shoulder, but a head wind and busy traffic. Nothing to do but put the head down and push. An hour later we were in town and luckily a room opened up at a hotel so we checked in. Showers, swimming and then our gear arrived, thank you again John and Barbara!
A quick trip to the bike shop to see if they could straighten Crys rear derailleur hanger. Thankfully they were super kind, and did it right there while we watched! Great Divide Cyclery in Helena sure was kind to us Divide riders!
Also did a quick run to the outdoor store to pick up more fuel and a dress to give to Sara for her birthday. We travel light and she was regretting not having a simple dress for town/camp.
After reviewing the day tomorrow and realizing that it was a huge climb (another 4000 ft) over a pretty short distance (22 miles) we realized we needed to be fresh for that, and we hadn’t even gotten our groceries yet. Zero tomorrow! Helena is a cute town, so we are happy to get a chance to see more of it. We got in touch with a lady that we will stay with through a cycling app, Warmshowers.org where cyclists host other cyclists. Should be fun!
Two weeks in! It’s been better and also harder than we expected!
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